The Psychiatric Emergency Department at Riverside Mental Health and Recovery Center (RMHRC) marked a major milestone Nov. 1, completing two full years of operation.
Still the only specialty Emergency Department of its kind in Virginia, the freestanding Psych ED has treated nearly 12,000 patients from age 5 through adulthood, including some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.
More than 1,600 of patients have been younger than 18, and about 4,500 transferred in from an Acute Care Emergency Department. Before RMHRC opened the Psych ED, many such patients had to spend hours or even days in acute care facilities.
“It has been such an amazing resource for the community and families here, who now have the comfort of knowing they have somewhere to bring a loved one experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis,” said Stacey Johnson, RMHRC President. “The environment provides safety, quick assessment and any necessary stabilization.”
Open 24/7, the Psych ED offers a dedicated team of Providers, Therapists, Nurses, Psych Techs, Patient Access and Protection Officers. Together, they work to rapidly connect patients with the least restrictive level of care, whether that is an outpatient or inpatient program.
Frequent diagnoses include Substance Abuse Disorders, Anxiety Disorders and Depression, as well as serious mental illnesses such as Psychotic Disorders. While most patients come from Hampton and Newport News, the Psych ED has seen patients from as far south as Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, and from Smithfield, Williamsburg and beyond.
The Psych ED is designed to help deescalate symptoms of a mental health crisis. Instead of the bright lights and loud beeps of a typical emergency room, for example, the space has more of a calm living room feel with recliners, soothing colors, a sensory room and fully-enclosed outdoor area for patients needing fresh air and sunshine.
“We’re proud to have filled a real gap in local healthcare,” Johnson said. “Moving forward, we are committed to providing more patients with the compassionate care that they need and deserve – no matter what hour of day or night.”